Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1898 — MEET IN CONVENTION. [ARTICLE]

MEET IN CONVENTION.

■. -v —r-> . „ INDIANA REPUBLICANS ASSEMBLE AT INDIANAPOLIS. Senator Fairbanks Selected aa Permanent Chairman —Convention Indorses the War and Pays a Tribute to the American Soldier—The Platform. Hold Two Days’ Session. Indianapolis special: The Republican State convention met in Tomlinson Hall Wednesday afternoon. The preliminary session lasted but two hours, and after listening to a long address by Senator Fairbanks the convention adjourned until Thursday. The convention was probably the largest Republican convention that ever usfembled in this State. The body was called to order by Charles S. Hernly, chairman of the State committee, who, with a few brief remarks, opened the meeting by calling upon the committees of the convention for their reports. The first of these was the committee on permanent organization, which had selected Senator Charles W. Fairbanks for permanent chairman. His nddress was looked forward to as expressing in a large measure the views of the administration. Senator Fairbanks’ speech; which took an hour to deliver, was pregnant with commendation 6f President «ftJeKinley and his war and foreign policy. He touched on nearly all the important subjects and renewed the promise that Congress will very soon enforce the money plans of the St. Louis platform in a much stronger manner than was contemplated at the time of its passage. It had been arranged to receive the report of the platform committee at the close of the Senator's speech. but the delegates were- anxious to get hack to the hotel and learn how their friends, the candidates, were faring, aud so it was decided to postpone the reading and adoption of the platform until Thursday. Republican Platform. The platform indorses the State and national administrations, the Mull law and the arbitration commission, and promises reform in primary election laws and township and county business. It praises the soldiers and sgilors of the present war, and upon the war question says: While we sincerely deplore the necessity of war, we believe the President and Congress acted wisely in demanding the complete withdrawal of Spanish sovereignty front the Island of Cuba and In proceeding to enforce the demand with the military and uaval power of the Government.

The subject of territorial extension is not directly treated, but referred to as follows: Having achieved its manhood, the republic under God is entering upon Its greatest period of power, hnppluess and responsibility. Realizing the mighty future wealth, prosperity and duty which Is even now upon us, we fuvor the extension of American trade; the reformation of the consular service accordingly; the encouragement by all legitimate means of the American merchant marine; the ereation ot a navy as powerful as our commerce shall be extensive, and for public defense aud security and the establishment of coaling stations and naval rendezvous wherever necessary. We most heartily approve the wisdom of the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands as a wise measure, aud recommend the early construction of the Nicaraguan Canal under the Immediate direction and exclusive control of the United States Government, the Importance and necessity of the canal having been emphasized by recent events connected with the present war with Spain. Following is the financial plunk: The Republicans of Indiana are unreservedly for sound money and are therefore opposed to the. heresy to which the Democratic party is wedded—of the free and unlimited coinage of both gold and silver at the ratio of 16 to I—which we regard as absolutely certain to debase our money and destroy our private and public credit and cause general business disaster. We recognize the necessity of comprehensive and enlightened monetary legislation, and we believe that the declaration in the St. Louis national Republican platform for the maintenance of the gold stuudnrd and the parity of all our forma of money should be given the vitality of public law and the money of the American people should be made, like ail its institutions—the best in the world. We felicitate the country on the fact that when In the exigencies of war it became necessary to Issue $200,000,000 of Government bonds to meet the extraordinary expenditures, a Republican administration had the good sense and wisdom to put the loan within the easy reach of the people, where it has been wholly absorbed, furnishing a splendid security for their savings, awakening a new interest in the permanency of our government nnd the soundness of Its financial system. The tariff plunk is as follows: We reaffirm our belief In the doctrine of reciprocity nnd protection to American labor and home Industries, a,nd condemn the Democratic doctrine of tariff for revenue only as unsound and unsuited to the beat interests of the couuß-.v; a doctrine whose falsity has been demonstrated by our experience under the Wilson revenue hill that plunged the country into commercial nnd financial distress, from which it is fast recovering since the change from the Democratic policy.